O you who believe! Ward off from yourselves and your families against a Fire (Hell) whose fuel is men and stones, over which are (appointed) angels stern (and) severe, who disobey not, (from executing) the Commands they receive from Allâh, but do that which they are commanded. (6)

It is their nature to abstain from sin. Also to do acts of obedience. It does not require effort on their part because they have no desires (nafs).

They are still commanded to worship and obey Allah

An Nahl 16: 50

They fear their Lord above them, and they do what they are commanded. (50)

Now fear is one of the highest uboodiyah that is being a slave of Allah.

Al Anbiya 21: 27-28

They speak not until He has spoken, and they act on His Command. (27) He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him. (28)He knows what is before them, and what is behind them, and they cannot intercede except for him with whom He is pleased. And they stand in awe for fear of Him. (28)

The angels are slaves who serve Allah and carry out His instructions. They cannot go beyond what He commands or go against instructions that are givent o them. they are in fear and awe of Allah. They do as commanded and hasten to respond.

Narrated by Ibn Abbas, prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam said to Jibreel, “Why do you not visit us more often?” Allah responded,

Maryam 19: 64

And we (angels) descend not except by the Command of your Lord (O Muhammad SAW). To Him belongs what is before us and what is behind us, and what is between those two, and your Lord is never forgetful,— (64)

Lessons : The Characteristics of the Angel

1. Angels do not have nafs

2. they obey Allah’s command

3. teh angels fear Allah greatly – stand in awe at Allah

4. they do not speak until they are spoken to

5. they do not go beyond what is commanded to them.

Their Worship

The angels fulfil their responsibility given to them and worship Him. Among their worship

Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam told us that the angels say in their exaltation as narrated by Abu Dhar
The best way of dzikir is that which He chose for Hisangels, “subhanallahi wa bihamdih.: (Muslim)

Al Ghafir 40: 7

Those (angels) who bear the Throne (of Allâh) and those around it glorify the praises of their Lord, and believe in Him, and ask forgiveness for those who believe (in the Oneness of Allâh) (saying): “Our Lord! You comprehend all things in mercy and knowledge, so forgive those who repent and follow Your Way, and save them from the torment of the blazing Fire! (7)

As Shura 42: 5

Nearly the heavens might be rent asunder from above them (by His Majesty), and the angels glorify the praises of their Lord, and ask for forgiveness for those on the earth, verily, Allâh is the Oft-Forgiving, the Most Merciful. (5)

Al Anbiya 21: 20

They (i.e. the angels) glorify His Praises night and day, (and) they never slacken (to do so) (20)

As Saffat 37: 165-166

Verily, we (angels), we stand in rows (for the prayers as you Muslims stand in rows for your prayers); (165) And verily, we (angels), indeed are those who glorify (Allâh’s Praises i.e. perform prayers). (166)

2. Standing in Rows

This is in the verse above.

The Messenger sallallahu alaihi wasalam urged the Companions to follow the example of angels in making straight rows for the prayer

“The Messenger of Allah said:

«أَلَا تَصُفُّونَ كَمَا تَصُفُّ الْمَلَائِكَةُ عِنْدَ رَبِّهِمْ؟»

(Will you not form ranks as the angels form ranks in the presence of their Lord) We said, `How do the angels form ranks in the presence of their Lord’ He said:

«يُتِمُّونَ الصُّفُوفَ الْمُتَقَدِّمَةَ، وَيَتَرَاصُّونَ فِي الصَّف»

(They complete the rows nearer the front and they consolidate the rows. )”

3. They Make Sujood

The angels pray to Allah standing, bowing and making sujood.

Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam said,
“The heavens have squeaked (from weight) and they have the right to sqeak. There is not even a span but that it has an angel in sujood or standing (in prayer), exalting and praising Allah. (Tabaranee. Verified authentic by al-Albani)
They stand, bow and prostrate.

4. They go For Hajj

The angels visit al Baytul Maa’moor to worship Allah. Everyday seventy thousands of them enter it and never return to it until the Day of Judgment. Can you imagine the number of angels?

At Tur 52: 4

By the Tur (Mount); (1) And by the Book Inscribed. (2) In parchment unrolled. (3) And by the Al Bait-ul-Ma’mûr[] (the house over the heavens parallel to the Ka’bah at Makkah, continuously visited by the angels);

In the Two Sahihs it is confirmed that the Messenger of Allah said in the Hadith about Al-Isra’, after ascending to the seventh heaven:

(Then, I was taken to Al-Bayt Al-Ma`mur. It is visited every day by seventy thousand angels who will not come back to visit it again.) The angels worship Allah in Al-Bayt Al-Ma`mur and perform Tawaf around it just as the people of the earth perform Tawaf around the Ka`bah. Al-Bayt Al-Ma`mur is the Ka`bah of those who reside in the seventh heaven. During the Isra’ journey, the Prophet saw Ibrahim Al-Khalil, who was reclining with his back on Al-Bayt Al-Ma`mur. It was Ibrahim who built the Ka`bah on earth, and surely, the reward is compatible with the action. Al-Bayt Al-Ma`mur is parallel to the Ka`bah; every heaven has its own house of worship, which is also the direction of prayer for its residents. The house that is located in the lower heaven, is called Bayt Al-`Izzah.

Prophet sallallahu alaihi wasalam said,

Al Bayt ul Maa’moor is in the seventh heaven. Seventy thousand angels enter it every day and never return to it until the last Hour. * Recorded by Ahmad and An Nass’ee verified by al Albanee)

5. Their Fear of Allah

The angels have great knowledge of Allah thus their fear of Him are very great.

Narrated by Abu hurayrah that prophet Muhammad sallallahu alaihi wasalam said,
“When Allah decrees a matter in the heavens, the angels beat their wings in submission to what he has said, (with a sound like) a chain striking a rock.”

From jaabir that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alaihi wasalam said: “On teh night on which I was taken on the Night of Journey (Israa’), I passed by the hosts on high, and Jibreel was like a worn mat, from his fear of Allah.”

Related

4 responses to “The Worship of the Angels”

Standing in a row for Jamaat.
As salaam alaikum. I have to offer part of my Namaaz sitting down on a chair. I do the standing and the ruku normally but for Sizdah and tashahud+ I do it sitting on a chair (I have ankylosing spondilytis, I cannot sit or kneel on the ground with fused bones). Last Jummah, one of my muslim brother told me in the mosque said that I should do the entire Namaaz sitting down as because, keeping my chair alligned to the row I am actually standing a bit ahead of the row and not shoulder to shoulder with others. But if I sit for the entire Namaaz then I am shoulder to shoulder with other prayees in the row all the time. I do want to do my Namaaz normally as much possible except for the part I am very uncomfortable to do (sitting or kneeling in the ground). I have done my Hajj in 2012 with many Islamic scholars and performed prayers in many Saudi Mosque, in the front row. No one told me it is not right. Kindly enlight me whether I am wrong doing partial Namaz sitting down. I will be very grateful and will like to rectify myself.

Brother, first of all you must know that I am not a scholar. I am just a mother who goes to classes, read books andlisten to lectures. Insya Allah khayr.

I have took the liberty to look for the fatwa of your said problem. And thisis what i found in Islam QA. May Iquote

With regard to the placement of the chair in the row, the scholars (may Allaah have mercy on them) stated that the one who prays sitting down should have his posterior in line with the row when he is sitting, so he should not be in front of the row or behind it at that point, because that is the place in which the body settles.